1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates broadly to surgical instruments. More particularly, this invention relates to a flexible endoscopic scissors device insertable through a lumen of an endoscope.
2. State of the Art
Endoscopy is a minimally invasive medical procedure that assesses the interior of the human body using an endoscope. An endoscope generally consists of a rigid or flexible tube, an fiber optic illumination system to guide light provided by a light source through the tube of the endoscope in order to illuminate the organ or object under inspection, and a viewing system for collecting an image of the organ or object under inspection and for recording the image on an internal CCD device (video-endoscope) or for transmitting the image through the tube via a fiber optic bundle to an external video processor for viewing (fiber-endoscope). The endoscope can include one or more “working” channels (typically 2-4 mm in diameter) having a surgeon-accessible entry port through which specialized medical instruments can be passed into the working channels of the endoscope and into the field of view. Such specialized instruments (which can include graspers, biopsy forceps, scissors, etc.) can be used to grasp tissue, sample tissue for biopsy, or separate tissue, all from the inside of the body.
Laparoscopy is a minimally invasive surgical technique in which operations in the abdomen or thorax are performed through small incisions (usually 0.5-1.5 cm) via a rigid or flexible laparoscope. There are generally two types of laparoscopes, including a telescopic rod lens system that is usually connected to a video camera (single chip or three chip) and a digital laparoscope where the camera is placed at the end of the laparoscope, thus eliminating the rod lens system. A fiber optic cable system connected to a light source (halogen or xenon is inserted through a surgical port to illuminate the operative field for viewing. The abdomen is usually insufflated with carbon dioxide gas to create a working and viewing space. Specialized surgical instruments can be introduced into the abdomen or thorax through a surgical port in order to take biopsies and retrieve organs (or pieces thereof) and/or foreign objects from the inside of the body.
The surgical instruments used for endoscopy and laparoscopy generally include end effector means mounted adjacent the distal end of a tube or coil. Handles (or other actuation control means) are mounted to the proximal end of the tube or coil and move an actuator axially through the tube or coil. The distal end of the actuator is mechanically coupled to the end effector means in a manner that transforms the axial movement of the actuator into the desired movement of the end effector means. Such specialized endoscopic and laparoscopic surgical instruments are collectively referred to herein as endoscopic surgical instruments or endoscopic instruments, and endocope(s) and laparoscope(s) and collectively referred to herein as endoscopes. These general principles apply to most endoscopic instruments, but specific endoscopic instruments differ in length, size, stiffness, as well as other characteristics as the instruments are typically designed for a particular application as such instruments can be used for a wide variety of minimally invasive surgical procedures, including the endoscopic and laparoscopic applications summarized above.